With more than 3,200 exhibitors at CES 2014, you're bound to run into some interesting booths on the show floor amidst the gigantic offerings from the likes of Samsung or Sony.

Oftentimes, these vendors are hawking goods that raise eyebrows or make you do a double take. Last year, we found a pet health diagnostic tool powered by extraterrestrials. And in years past, we've seen brainwave-controlled cat ears, that child potty with a spot for an iPad, and pee-powered batteries.

CES 2014 did not disappoint in the weird department. Though most attendees were focused on curved 4K HDTVs and fitness gadgets, the halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center also had their share of bizarre gadgets. To be fair, while a number of these devices looked strange at first glance, some could actually be quite helpful and might end up in your stocking later this year.

Check out the slideshow for some of the strange devices our PCMag analysts stumbled upon at CES. And let us know in the comments if you saw something even weirder.

1
Mother

Mother is a new motion-sensing gadget that takes the concept of a personal fitness tracker (or smart pedometer) and expands it to measure various aspects of your family. She looks like a Russian stacking doll and comes with four trackers, or "cookies." That cookie can act as a fitness tracker if you tuck one into your pocket, or you can set it to tell you about other family matters, such as whether your teenager came home by curfew.

2
Furo-S Smart Service Robot

There was no shortage of robots on the CES show floor, but some were definitely creepier than others. The Windows-based Furo-S Smart Service Robot, for example, incorporates an avatar-like face on its head screen, which can display emotion. The face kind of looks like it's trapped in there, though. But if you can look past the sad eyes, Furo carts around a 22-inch touch screen and detects the people around it thanks to a built-in Kinect sensor.

3
TrewGrip Keyboard

The TrewGrip keyboard is a failed Kickstarter project that managed to find investors and make some pretty final-looking prototypes. You carry the keyboard around with you. It cradles a phone or tablet on a grippy pad, and you wrap around your fingers to type on the back of it, using the same finger movements you would with standard touch typing. It teaches you to touch-type, too, by lighting up the letters you're typing. The idea is to create a train yourself to use any of them through muscle memory, and then they become speedy and natural. PCMag's Sascha Segan got some hands-on time with the TrewGrip at CES; see what he had to say.

4
3D Printed Pastries

The ChefJet line of 3D printers from 3D Systems are designed for professional kitchens, and can print sugary delights in any of several flavors. The ChefJet 3D printer is a monochrome, countertop-sized printer with a generous build volume of 8 by 8 by 6 inches, making it ideal for single-color confections and cake toppers. ChefJet printable materials come in a variety of recipes, including chocolate, vanilla, mint, sour apple, cherry, and watermelon.

5
Belkin Crock-Pot Smart Slow Cooker

The phrase "Internet-connected Crock-Pot" got a few chuckles when it hit the news this week, but if you think about it, it's a pretty good idea. Basically, you can control your slow cooker using a smartphone app, so you can adjust settings from afar if you get stuck at work or in traffic.

6
Grillbot

While we're on the subject of food, meanwhile, the Grillbot also looks a little strange at first glance, but grill masters will likely welcome this robotic cleaner. "Simply place the Grillbot on your grill, press a button and you’re done! The Grillbot does all the hard work for you. No more scrubbing the grill," the company said. Now we just need a Chefbot.

7
Paro Therapeutic Robot

Paro is a therapeutic robot intended to provide the benefits of having a pet in locations where real cuddly creatures are not allowed (like hospitals). It's a nice idea, but also just a tad creepy. Check out our Instagram video of the Paro in action.

8
Sony Dogcams

9
PhoneSoap

For when your camera-equipped dog poops on your phone? Maybe, but according to this interestingly adorned fellow at CES, your phone probably already has fecal matter on it without Fido's help (lovely!). So better pile on the PhoneSoap, which isn't really a weird product in and of itself. But the dude with the foam poop on his head? Definitely weird. Thanks CES!

About the Author

Before joining PCMag.com, Chloe covered financial IT for Incisive Media in NYC and technology policy for The National Journal's Technology Daily in Washington, DC. She has held internships at NBC's Meet the Press, washingtonpost.com, the Tate Gallery press office in London, Roll Call, and Congressional Quarterly. She graduated with a bachelor's deg... See Full Bio

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